India missile tests have China as obvious target: specialists

India’s frequent missile tests are aimed at China as an enemy, specialists said after India reportedly test-fired a Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile on Wednesday.

India successfully launched its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile on Wednesday from a test range in the eastern state of Odisha, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported on Wednesday, citing an Indian defense official.

“India’s frequent missile test launches are aimed at China. India regards China as its enemy which is unfair as China has never regarded India as a threat,” Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

“China does not seek an arms race in Asia. India’s economy is still underdeveloped and China hopes to maintain peace and stability in the region alongside India,” Hu said.

The Prithvi-II has a strike range of 350 kilometers and is capable of carrying 500 to 1,000 kilograms of warheads, PTI reported.

The launch came after the trial of an Agni-5 missile on January 18 and another Agni-1 missile test conducted on Tuesday.

The Prithvi uses combined guidance which makes its accuracy higher than the Agni series and it is capable of carrying either nuclear weapons or normal warheads, according to Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military expert and TV commentator. This makes it more practical in military conflict, he noted.

On Monday, China conducted a successful test of its ground-based mid-course defense system, the Ministry of National Defense announced Tuesday.

The missile interception test was defensive in nature and is not targeted at any country, the ministry said.

China’s anti-aircraft missile systems are surely capable of intercepting India’s missiles, no matter whether they are Agni or Prithvi series, Song said.